WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University women's basketball team hosted Northern State University on Saturday, Jan. 6, following a long layoff over the holiday break, tipping off against the Wolves in a 5:30 p.m. game in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.
Winona State (4-9, 4-5 NSIC) saw Northern State put together a strong second and third quarter to stake a large lead after three, eventually dealing WSU an 85-58 setback.
The first NSIC contest of the New Year was a part of the 2024 Winter Game Day Experience and WSU Employee Appreciation Day. Winona State Athletics and the WSU Alumni Office collaborated to attract over 1,000 fans to the NSIC doubleheader.
Final Score: Northern State 85, Winona State 58
Attendance: 1,069
How It Happened
Alex Dornfeld delivered a strong start out of the gate for Winona State, scoring a pair of jumpers in the first few minutes of play, with Warrior teammate
Emma Carpenter scoring a layup as well, giving WSU a 6-3 lead early on.
Northern State would respond with a run of their own, with three straight scores before Dornfeld would snap the streak with a 1-for-2 free throw effort with under 2:30 to play.
Paige Peaslee would break into the scoring column with a fastbreak layup as time expired in the first quarter, pulling WSU to within eight points at 18-10.
In the second stanza, Northern State would go on to pull away from the Warriors, using an 8-0 run midway through the quarter that resulted in a 41-23 Wolves advantage. Buckets by
Vivica Bretton and
Hailey Markworth would help WSU stem the tide slightly, but the home side faced a 21-point deficit heading into the locker room at the break, down 43-22
NSU shot a blistering 11-of-16 (68.75%) from the floor in the second stanza, including a pair of 3-pointers.
At The Half: Northern State 43, Winona State 22
Unfortunately for Winona State, the third quarter saw NSU continue to stay dialed in on the offensive end of the floor, as the Wolves went on a 11-6 run to open play.
Alex Dornfeld added a 3-pointer halfway through the stanza and finished off the Warrior scoring with a jumper late, but Winona State was down 66-35 after three periods of play.
The Winona State bench helped the Warriors outscore the Wolves in the fourth and final frame, as
Hailey Markworth and
Kaitlyn Schrimpf scored in the first 90 seconds of the period, with Markworth collecting makes from the foul line and Schrimpf scoring from behind the arc.
Emma Kilpatrick and
Vanessa Alexander both scored shortly after Schrimpf's triple, and
Lindsey Hahn would add a 3-pointer of her own with 1:57 left to play. Eventually, Northern State would close out the contest dealing Winona State an 85-58 setback.
WSU Stat Standouts
Alex Dornfeld, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals.
Hailey Markworth, 9 points, 6 rebounds
Kaitlyn Schrimpf, 9 points
Team Stats Comparables
WSU held a four-swipe advantage in steals over NSU, 10-6.
The Wolves were 13-of-24 (54.2%) from behind the arc, while WSU was 5-of-24 (20.8%) on 3-point attempts.
Winona State outscored Northern State 23-19 in the fourth quarter.
Beyond the Box Score
Saturday's contest marks the first of two meetings with the Wolves for WSU this year. The Warriors will play in Aberdeen on Feb.
WSU nearly achieved an even split on offensive and defensive rebounds among their 30 boards; WSU had 14 offensive rebounds in the game.
Prior to Saturday, Winona State last played on Tuesday, December 19, a 59-56 victory over Michigan Tech.
Up Next
Winona State (4-9, 3-5 NSIC) will head north next weekend, taking on the University of Minnesota Crookston on January 12 and Bemidji State University on January 13. WSU will tip off at 7:30 pm against the Minnesota Crookston and 5:30 pm versus BSU.
